On Fortune's Wings
by pain17ification
Summary: Having seen how he pulled off taking a village "treasure" and how that very village treats him, the Friendly Neighborhood Gullwings decide to enlist one Naruto Uzumaki into their ranks. Adventure, danger, and excitement lay ahead of them as they explore the many Worlds, searching for the greatest treasures. What could go wrong? Maybe a lot. Naruto's involved, after all. Naru/Gulls!
1. Chapter 1: Taking Flight

**Hi there, everyone!**

 **So, here's the first chapter of this Naruto/Gullwings idea!**

 **Disclaimer:** _ **pain17ification**_ **owns nothing**

* * *

 _On Fortune's Wings_

 _Chapter One: Taking Flight_

* * *

"This is a stupid idea," a dull voice spoke up.

"Glass half full," a calm one admonished.

"Yeah!" an excitable one chimed in. "This is gonna be great!"

The first voice sighed in defeat at that. The owner of said voice floated alongside her friends through the alleyways of a large settlement that they heard was called the Hidden Leaf Village. Apparently, it was one of many villages that had ninja as their form of military-slash-mercenaries.

Having arrived in this world about a year ago in search of legendary treasure, the trio had kept low profiles and remained inconspicuous, staying away from the public eye and doing most of their activities at night. In fact, the night prior had proven to be rather interesting to them.

They had spotted a teenage boy sneak into the office of the village's leader, muttering to himself about a Sacred Scroll. The title alone made them see that it was _definitely_ a treasure, so they decided to tail him and see what made the scroll so special.

Remembering how the whiskered blonde knocked out the revered leader of the village brought forth mixed reactions. Yuna, the calm and rational brunette member, blushed at the crude transformation and at how perverted the old leader was. Rikku, the excitable blonde member, got a kick out of it and had to use her scarf to muffle her laughter. And finally, Paine, the blunt silverette member, merely sighed and called the whole situation _stupid_.

Following that _successful_ lift of the Sacred Scroll, they followed the young man to a section of woods that was meant to be a rendezvous point between him and some man named Mizuki. The boy had gotten curious about the contents of the scroll – as were they – and decided to open it; revealing that it was filled with forbidden techniques that the village had documented over the years it had been in existence.

He even learned one of those forbidden jutsu; the Shadow Clone technique, which split inner energy into corporal copies of the user. All three of them found that technique to be handy for their chosen _profession_.

What followed that was a messy situation where it was revealed that the boy was duped by Mizuki and told that he was carrying a creature of great power within his gut; something called the Kyuubi. Another man, some guy named Iruka, had defended the boy and held off Mizuki for him to escape.

However, the blonde returned just in time to save Iruka and lay the smack down on Mizuki. Rikku nearly gave away their position when she cheered at his success, and they were forced to leave to avoid being spotted.

After spending the night resting in a safe corner of a rooftop, Yuna had suggested that they find the blonde teen again. If he could get the Sacred Scroll once, he should have been able to get it a second time. Rikku was all for the idea while Paine saw it as a bad one.

With a two-to-one vote in favor, the trio had set off to find one Naruto Uzumaki.

* * *

Naruto sulked as he walked down the road of his village. He had just heard everything Sakura had complained about him to Sasuke, and it hurt more than anything else. He liked Sakura, and he had hoped to win her over one day; but, hearing what she said about him and how his parents should've raised him better was too much.

Oh, his parents should've taught him manners? Kinda hard to learn them when he _had none_!

He wanted to be angry at her, but his past feelings for her had dulled that anger into a depression. One thing was for sure, though; his crush for her was done. If she was willing to say such things about him behind his back, that spoke _volumes_ about her character.

Looking up from the road, he gave a weak smile at the familiar flaps of the Ichiraku Ramen Stand. He needed a pick-me-up after what had just happened.

Stepping inside, he was welcome by one of his favorite people. "Hey, Naruto-kun!" Ayame greeted with a warm smile. "Hungry?"

"Yeah, I'll take a bowl of miso ramen, please."

"Sure thing," she replied, reaching over the counter to ruffle his hair affectionately before preparing his bowl.

Stepping out of the supply room was her father, Teuchi. "Naruto, my boy! We missed you last night! I thought you said you were going to celebrate your graduation with us?"

He cringed at that. "Well…I didn't graduate at first," he admitted.

"Oh?" a third voice spoke up, walking in from the side entrance with fresh groceries. This was Trisha Ichiraku (1), wife of Teuchi. "What happened, Naruto-kun?"

"The Clone Jutsu…" he muttered.

"You were complaining about that one last week," Ayame noted in concern, setting a fresh bowl of food in front of him. "You still couldn't figure it out?"

"It takes too little chakra, and I have too much to limit to that size."

"So, it's like you're trying to fit a whole pot of ramen into a single bowl?" Trisha asked with a smile, knowing how Naruto liked to simplify things.

"Exactly!" he cried in frustration, slamming his head onto the counter. "I've told the teachers, but they would always tell me to _practice chakra control_. I've been practicing those stupid exercises for _months_ now!"

"Hey now," Teuchi spoke up, reaching over to clasp his shoulder. "No need to get yourself down. Sometimes, things take longer than we'd like. But, it looks like you graduated anyway despite failing the exam."

"Did something happen?" Trisha questioned, showing motherly concern. She and her family had known Naruto for many years now, and she considered him one of her own; despite how she was _denied_ adopting him on multiple occasions.

"Yeah… I was tricked by Mizuki after my failure…"

He spent the next few minutes explaining what had happened, sitting through a scolding afterwards from Ayame and Trisha about stealing while Teuchi couldn't help but laugh at how he _distracted_ the Hokage. Despite the lecture, Naruto felt warmth at the level of care the three Ichiraku had for him.

Within a village of thousands, these three were the light in his darkness. They kept him from going over the edge.

"Well, despite the _circumstances_ ," Trisha began, stressing the last word and making Naruto give a sheepish chuckle, "we're still happy that you passed, Naruto-kun. One step closer to your dream now, right?"

Here, Naruto gave a forced smile. "R-Right!" he replied, hiding his slight stutter.

In truth, Naruto wasn't as gung-ho about becoming Hokage as he proclaimed to be. He just wanted people to accept him instead of ignoring or mistreating him. For many years, he had wondered _why_ the villagers treated him that way; but no one would tell him why.

It wasn't until Sarutobi, the Hokage, told him about the Kyuubi and the law he placed about mentioning it that he understood. And with that understanding came anger towards the Hokage; a man who had _lied right to his face_ for years about the fox. Every time he would ask, Sarutobi would claim ignorance or change the subject entirely, and now he knew why.

And it left a pit in his stomach at realizing that someone he had _trusted_ didn't seem to return the sentiment.

Trisha noted the hesitance in his voice and fought a frown at the false smile he gave her. Being a woman her age, and having been around women who would wear fake smiles in certain company, she could spot false cheer on par with seasoned ninja. She wanted to ask him about it, but she knew it had to be something personal; so, she let him be.

Naruto finished his ramen with gusto before giving them a more sincere smile. "Thanks for the food," he declared, leaving money for the bill. "I'll see you all later!"

With that, he took off and Ayame went to the back to take stock of their inventory. Left alone, her parents turned to one another. "Something's wrong," Trisha noted aloud.

"You noticed that too?" Teuchi asked.

"Yes, I did. Whatever happened last night, it's still bothering him today." She bit her lip in thought before her eyes widened. "Y-You don't think he found out about… _that_ , do you?"

Teuchi frowned at that. "Hard to say… But, I wouldn't put it off the table." He gave a tired sigh, rubbing his forehead to stave off a headache.

"I wish we could have told him sooner…" Trisha whispered sadly.

"We couldn't break Lord Third's law, dear…"

"I know that, but he deserved to know. We could've eased him into it."

"Eased him into what?" Ayame asked as she returned, looking curious. On the inside, she was hiding how worried she was, having overheard what her parents had said.

"Oh! N-Nothing worth-" Teuchi started to say before he was silenced by Trisha placing her hand on his arm.

"What we were talking about was something that concerns Naruto. It's something that most of the adult villagers know before it was forbidden from being spoken aloud. This is the most we can tell you without breaking the law," she explained to their daughter.

Ayame swallowed nervously. "A-And what happens if you did…?"

"We'd be executed," Teuchi answered bluntly, making his daughter gasp.

"It's what we've learned to respect, living in a military village. While the Hidden Leaf is peaceful and a great place to have a home, it's still run by a military. In exchange for their protection, we must obey their laws," Trisha informed, giving Ayame a reassuring smile. "And one of those laws is about keeping quiet about this subject concerning Naruto-kun."

"But…he knows about it, right?" she asked hesitantly.

Her parents shared a look before turning back to her, both looking solemn. "We don't know, dear…"

* * *

"So, _that's_ why he was so shocked about it," Yuna declared, she and her friends having eavesdropped on the talk between the Ichiraku family.

"That's…so sad," Rikku whispered solemnly.

"Not to mention idiotic," Paine added with a frown. "He should've been told about the Kyuubi so that he could be better prepared for it."

Yuna nodded with her own frown. "Perhaps we need to shift gears, here…"

"Shift gears?" Rikku repeated, tilting her head.

"Maybe instead of trying to grab some treasure…we should help out this Naruto."

"Come again?/For real?" Paine and Rikku asked respectively.

Nodding once, Yuna took on a thinking posing as she floated around her friends. "The three of us have seen lots of Worlds, and we've seen our fair share of conflict while taking treasure; but this is the first time I can recall hearing of someone being kept in the dark about something crucially important about them. Plus, you've seen how those other people looked at him, right?"

"Yeah, those jerks," Rikku growled out.

"They probably know about this Kyuubi thing and think that Naruto _is_ the Kyuubi, since it's in his gut or something," Paine mused.

"Exactly!" Yuna proclaimed. "That's not fair to him, and you know how I feel about helping people when we can. This wouldn't be the first time we've aided an inhabitant of another world."

"And by _help_ , what are you getting at?" Paine pressed.

Yuna, who had her back to them as she thought it over, slowly turned around with a knowing smile on her face. "Well…what do you girls say about _expanding our ranks_?"

* * *

Following Naruto once more, the trio of tiny women watched him return to the Academy and sit in the classroom with his two teammates for over two hours. And the biggest problem was that it wasn't even a bored wait; it was an uncomfortable one.

Sasuke was still annoyed with Naruto for getting the drop on him and assuming his identity for a short period of time. The only reason he didn't kick the blonde's ass was because he didn't do anything that damaged his reputation; save for talking with Sakura, who he found annoying.

Sakura was confused. She had talked with Sasuke, practically confessed to him, and then complained about Naruto only to have her crush walk off in what she thought to be anger. Why was he mad? She only told him what she thought. And what was up with the idiot? He was just…sitting there silently, looking at nothing. Was he sick or something?

She shrugged without a care. At least he wasn't bothering her.

As for Naruto, he wished he could be somewhere else at the moment. He was stuck with the guy he tried to surpass and the girl he once liked but realized she thought so little of him. And now, he was stuck waiting for their tardy sensei for who knows how long.

Having enough, he got out of his seat with a look of frustration before he headed for the door. "Hey, Loser," he heard Sasuke call to him, making him clench his fist angrily. "Don't do anything stupid that could get us in trouble before we even meet our sensei."

"Yeah, you idiot!" Sakura joined in, assuming Naruto was off to cause more trouble. "Just sit down and wait like we are!"

His clenched fist trembled, and he restrained himself from lashing out at them; for giving into his darker desires. He had pushed those feelings down so much over the years, and after last night's revelation and Sakura's words, they were bubbling back up to the surface.

Deciding that he needed to let off some steam, he slid the door open roughly, only to reveal a tall man in Jonin gear that was wearing a face mask and his headband covering his left eye. Looking up, he saw the man somehow smile with just a closed eye as he asked, "Going out for some air?"

Naruto frowned at the knowing tone the man had. "Yeah, I needed a breather."

Kakashi Hatake opened his eye again and saw the frustration and growing anger in Naruto's eyes. He _did_ look like he needed a moment to settle down, but he had already left them waiting long enough. No doubt the others would only grow more annoyed by waiting _longer_.

"Well, how about we meet on the roof? This way you can get some fresh air and we can start our introductions?" he suggested.

Sasuke and Sakura stood up at that and headed over to him while Naruto brushed past the man and headed for the stairwell. "What's up with him?" Sasuke asked disinterestedly.

"He's just got a bit on his plate right now," Kakashi answered casually. "He's trying to sort things out."

Sasuke grunted out his dismissal of the subject while Sakura said nothing for or against it. This blatant disinterest in the well-being of their teammate made the Jonin sigh mentally. In his mind, he was already jotting the three of them down for failure.

Up on the roof, Naruto was sitting with his arms and legs crossed, trying to calm down from his growing frustrations. It was proving harder than he had hoped, nowhere near as easy as it used to be to simply push those thoughts down.

"Excuse me," he heard an unfamiliar voice speak up politely. "You're Naruto Uzumaki, right?"

Looking up from the ground, he blinked in confusion at the sight of three tiny women floating in front of him. Blinking again, he thought it would help him see clearer; but, they were still there.

"Uh… Yeah, I'm him," he answered hesitantly.

The brunette gave him a polite smile and bowed from the waist. "Pleased to meet you. My name is Yuna, and these are my friends Rikku," the blonde waved cheerfully, "and Paine," the silver haired one nodded once in greeting. "We were hoping to talk with you when you had a moment. I understand that you're busy right now, but we can always meet up with you later."

Scratching the back of his head in confusion, he asked back, "And…what would we talk about?"

"We've got a once in a lifetime offer for you, Whiskers!" Rikku exclaimed with a bright grin.

"But, like Yuna said," Paine cut in calmly, "we'll wait until you have a moment to tell you about it."

"We'll wait for you at that ramen stand you were at earlier," Yuna bid before the three girls disappeared in flashes of light.

Rubbing his eyes to clear the temporary blindness, Naruto reopened them and saw that they were gone; just in time for the other three to arrive from the door to the stairwell. Looking back to where they once resided, he thought to himself, _'How'd they know I was at Ichiraku's? Were they following me?'_

He was brought out of his inner thoughts by Kakashi saying, "Alright, why don't we kick things off by introducing ourselves?"

Sighing softly, he turned his full attention to the man, ready to get things moving so that he could get to the ramen stand faster. He didn't want to spend too much time with his teammates, after all.

* * *

When he returned to the stand, he was surprised to see the three women from earlier sitting down and enjoying a bowl each. The thing that made this encounter different from the first was that they were all the same size as him; each of them having teenage-sized bodies with beautiful figures and interesting dress styles.

Rikku noticed him first and grinned at him in greeting. "Hey, Whiskers! We saved you a bowl!"

He saw her gesture to the stool right next to her, a bowl of fresh ramen waiting for him to consume. Already liking how things were going, he took his seat and broke his chopsticks before he dived into his meal.

The four of them took a few minutes to simply enjoy their meals before, as one, they finished and set their bowls down. "That was wonderful," Yuna complimented.

"Yeah! Compliments to the chefs!" Rikku added.

"It was good," Paine said simply, though she had a faint smile on her face.

"Glad you all enjoyed it," Ayame returned with a polite smile before she grabbed their bowls and the pot used, taking them to the back to wash.

As soon as she was gone, the three women glowed briefly before they were back in their small forms. "I forgot how draining that was," Paine grumbled.

"Hopefully it will get easier to manage with practice," Yuna spoke up while Rikku nodded with a happy hum of agreement.

Naruto chose that moment to speak up. "Hey, so…who are you three anyway? You told me your names, but that's all I know; besides the fact that you're all…tiny and can grow bigger for short moments."

"Yes, of course. We're known as your Friendly Neighborhood Gullwings," Yuna introduced.

"But, that's a mouthful," Paine cut in dryly.

"So, just call us the Gullwings!" Rikku finished. "We're treasure hunters!"

"Treasure hunters?" Naruto repeated. "So, what? Do you three just go looking for treasure to take?"

"More or less," Yuna confirmed with a smile. "We also like to help others who can't fully help themselves."

"So…treasure hunters and mercenaries, then?" he asked, scratching his head.

"That sounds about right," Paine agreed with a nod.

"Okay then. What do you want with me?"

"Like we said, earlier," Rikku began, "we have a once in a lifetime offer for you!"

"Only if you want to hear it," Yuna added, rubbing her arm with a guilty expression. "You see…we've kinda been…following you since we saw you knock out your village leader last night."

"Wait a minute! Following me?! Since then?!" Naruto repeated worriedly, his eyes wide in shocked realization. "T-Then that means that-!"

"Yeah," Paine cut in. "We heard about what you have inside you; that Kyuubi thing."

Unknown to them, Ayame was listening in from the back, her eyes wide in shock at piecing together what her parents were referencing earlier that day. Naruto, the sweet boy who she loved like a brother, was a living prison of the Kyuubi!

Naruto swallowed the lump in his throat at Paine's confirmation. "I…"

"If you think we're holding that against you," Yuna started to reassure him, "then you don't need to worry about that. The truth is, our offer to you concerns your status as a prison for that thing."

"What do you mean…?" he asked hesitantly.

"What Yuna-chan is getting at is we're looking for another member to join our group!" Rikku explained, floating in front of his face so he could get a close and personal look at her grin. "We wanted to offer you that position!"

"…You three want me to become a treasure hunter like you?"

"Yes," Yuna confirmed, giving her own smile. "We understand if it's sudden, but we wanted to offer you a solution to get away from the things that bother you; if only temporarily."

"…So, it's pity," he said softly.

"Idiot," Paine cut in, earning his attention. "We're not pitying you, Blondie. We're offering you a job. If we _were_ pitying you, we'd offer you something different."

"But you just said-"

"Think of it like a vacation," she cut in again. "We're offering you an opportunity to step back from things, clear your head, and experience new things like other Worlds."

They saw him perk up at that. "Other Worlds?"

"Yep! Your World is only one of hundreds out there; all of them carrying a super rare treasure just ripe for the picking!" Rikku cheered out, showing her eagerness to go find said treasures.

"Think of the experiences you will have," Yuna continued. "You could interact with other people who know nothing of what you hold; total strangers who can form their own opinions of you instead of following the crowd."

"That still sounds like an offer made from pity," he argued.

"It's only a pity offer if you see it that way," Paine argued back. "Like I said; we're offering you a job."

Ayame bit her lip, worried about what Naruto would do. She wanted him to be happy, having known that he wasn't well-received in the village. She and her family helped him however they could; but, most times it felt like they were the only ones putting forth the effort.

It both saddened and upset her that seemingly no one else was willing to help someone as compassionate and bright as her surrogate little brother. And now, here comes three strange women from _another World_ accepting him and even offering him a way out.

Part of her wanted him to take it so that he could hopefully find something better out there. However, another part wanted him to decline, driven by the fear that she would lose him forever.

"…Is this a one-way offer?" she heard him ask, making her perk up.

"Of course not," Yuna assured him. "If you really wanted to come back, we'd be more than happy to bring you back here. We just want you to give our group a fair shot before you fully decide. And even if you become a member, we can always visit this World anytime you want."

Ayame sighed in relief, smiling at the weight lifting from her shoulders. She wouldn't lose him, after all. She reached up and gripped something that was beneath her uniform, held by a thin cord around her neck. _'Stay or go, I'll give this to him soon.'_

"Can… Can I think about it?" he asked hesitantly, sincerely considering the offer. "This is a big decision, after all…"

"By all means, take some time to think things over," Yuna agreed. "We'll be around if you need us. Just call out to one of us and we'll come to you."

"Thanks…"

"Not a problem, Naruto-san."

"Uh, just call me _Naruto_. I'm not one for formalities."

Yuna nodded while Rikku moved in front of her and grinned once again at him. "We'll see ya soon, Whiskers!"

"Think about it, yeah?" Paine chimed in, earning a nod from Naruto before the trio left in a flash of light.

Naruto hummed softly to himself, thinking about what he should do. "…How much did you hear?" he asked aloud, making Ayame stumble into some stacked dishes and make some noise. He turned to her with a small smile as she left the back of the stand with a guilty expression. "Everything, huh?"

"I'm sorry…"

"Don't be. I was going to tell you and your parents about this, anyway. I wanted to know what you all thought about the offer…and about what I am."

"What you are?" she repeated with a frown, moving over to him. Using her hand, she grasped the bottom of his chin and forced him to look at her. "Listen to me now, Naruto Uzumaki. No matter what is sealed into you, you are still _you_ ; and _you_ are my loving little brother." She smiled to him softly and finished, "Got it memorized?"

He smiled back through watery eyes. "Yeah…"

"Good," she declared, bringing him in for a hug. "And my advice…listen to your gut. Stay or go, you can always come back to us; and you know we'll never turn you away."

"I know… Thank you, nee-chan…"

Her smile softened at that. "Anytime, otouto…"

* * *

The following morning, Naruto decided to ignore the _advice_ that Kakashi had given his team the day before. He got plenty of rest, like always; but he still had some breakfast since he knew he'd need the energy.

Sure, he was a stamina monster; but he had to get his fuel from _somewhere_ , right?

Checking the time, he saw that he had half an hour before he was supposed to meet his teammates for their test. "Girls…?" he asked aloud inside his kitchen, feeling awkward doing so.

A small flash of light responded before a tired Yuna appeared, yawning cutely. "Everything alright, Naruto?" she asked as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.

"Uh, yeah. I was just…checking if yesterday was some weird daydream. Glad to see that it wasn't."

She smiled at his sheepishness. "I understand. It must've been pretty unbelievable having an offer made to you from three faeries."

"So, you three _are_ faeries. I've heard stories about them when I was growing up; but they mostly said that faeries lived and took care of forests."

"Some do; depending on the World you visit. As you can see, my friends and I are quite different from the _standard_ faery."

He chuckled at that. "I think I prefer your version over the others."

"Thank you for the compliment, and good luck on your test."

He nodded to her in thanks before he headed out of the apartment, prompting Yuna to go wake her friends. They didn't want to miss watching it.

* * *

Sighing defeatedly, Naruto stared at the ground before him sadly as he stood tied against the post. Once again, he was mentally berating himself for skipping out on the rope escape class to pull off one of his more elaborate pranks.

"Somehow, I knew this was gonna happen as soon as I was tied up," he muttered aloud.

"You'd think they'd at least cut you loose before they left," Yuna groused as she worked on the knot that held the rope together.

Paine scoffed at that. "Not likely. That duck-haired kid is too into himself to worry about others, and that pink-haired girl is to into _him_. That teacher should've done something; but he probably assumed you could get out on your own."

"Never assume, because it makes an ASS out of U and ME~!" Rikku sang out before growing tired of Yuna struggling with the knot. "Okay, that's it! Fire!"

Pointing her hand like a pretend gun, she shot a small burst of fire from her fingertip and ignited the rope's knot. The fire weakened it enough for Naruto to snap it with his strength, tossing it aside with a growl.

"I hate ropes," he grumbled before he took a breath to calm down. "Thanks, Rikku."

"No problem~!"

He wiped off the dust and dirt from his clothes before looking up at the sky with a sigh. Despite his team passing, he wasn't as excited as he thought he should've been. Perhaps, it was his team leaving him behind that dulled it down so much.

Putting those thoughts aside, he began to head back to the village, the Gullwings all hitching a ride on his shoulders and hair. Yuna took his left shoulder, Paine his right, and Rikku settled herself in his hair.

"Have you thought about our offer?" Yuna asked softly.

"Yeah, I have… I wanted to talk with Pops and Trisha before I made any decisions, though."

"Understandable. They really care about you, and I can tell their opinions mean a great deal to you."

"Yeah… Teuchi has been like a father to me, treating me well and teaching me some life lessons as I grew up. And Trisha…" He smiled softly. "She's everything I want in a mother; caring, considerate, slightly scolding." He and the girls shared amused chuckled at that last one. "…Loving…"

"…It's hard growing up without a family, isn't it?" Paine asked.

"Yeah…" he answered, breaking through the invisible border between the training fields and the village districts. "I grew up in an orphanage, but I was never adopted; most likely because of the fear of the Kyuubi. So, I would sneak out whenever I could, finding food for myself and camping out in random training fields at night.

"Until you met the Ichiraku family," Rikku finished with a smile.

"Yep. They were the first people who honestly accepted me and helped me out. Whether it was listening to me, giving me a free meal on occasion, or even helping me understand growing up, they did it all with a smile…and I felt happy."

"And you don't want to leave them," Yuna deduced.

"Of course not; at least, not forever. If I _do_ go…I'd want to have a way back to them."

"And you will," she assured him.

"I know… But I still want to know what they think about this."

The Gullwings nodded, respecting his decision. They knew that, if they were in his place, they'd like the same courtesy.

* * *

Naruto sat in silence on the couch across from Teuchi and Trisha, Ayame seated next to him. The Gullwings were in their previous positions on his shoulders and hair, having said nothing to disturb the silence.

He had just told them about how he knew he held the Kyuubi, his frustration with the Hokage lying to him, meeting the Gullwings, and their offer to him.

Nothing was left out, and now he was waiting to hear what they had to say about it all.

"It's an interesting offer," Teuchi finally spoke up.

"You haven't already decided, have you?" Trisha cut in, looking to Naruto worriedly.

"No," he answered. "I wanted to know what you two thought before I made my decision."

"Naruto-kun… If you go through with this, you could be labeled a traitor to the village. You were just accepted as a Genin; making you a legal member of the military. Lord Third is an understanding man, but other people speaking badly about this can force his hand."

"Not if I leave a letter of resignation from the ninja corps," he argued.

Trisha bit her lip at that. "Please, think this through! You're just a boy, for heaven's sake! You still have so much ahead of you!"

"And I could see a _lot_ more if I take the offer than I would as a ninja."

"I can't just sit by and watch you leave!" she argued firmly. "I'm not going to just watch a child of mine go gallivanting around who knows where without understanding the risks!"

His blue eyes widened considerably at that, and her green orbs widened after realizing what she just said. "Y-You… You consider me your child…?"

"Of course, I do!" she cried, her eyes growing misty. "We've known you since you were just a child. We watched you grow up, teaching you what we could along the way. And many times…" She bit back a sob. "Many times, I submitted requests to adopt you into our family."

Teuchi reached his hand over to grasp hers as she struggled to hold back her tears. Ayame was smiling at her mother's revelation and at how it touched Naruto so deeply.

"See?" she asked aloud. "I told you we'd never turn you away; not when you're family, Naruto-kun."

Naruto reached an arm up to wipe away his building tears with his sleeve. "…I never knew…" he whispered.

"I wanted to surprise you with an approved form; but every request was denied within a few days. I can tell that they didn't want you to have someone to take you in, and it upset me beyond reason. What kind of village doesn't let an innocent young boy get a family?!"

"Dear…" Teuchi tried to soothe her, but she broke away and began to pace in frustration; a habit she had for as long as he could remember.

"Why wouldn't they let us take you in?! Why do they insist on making you struggle to get by?! I'm sure your parents, whoever they are, are turning in their graves at what this place has done to you! And I-!"

She was cut off by a weight latching itself to her, small arms wrapping around her tightly as the front of her blouse gained a growing wet spot. Looking down, she saw that it was Naruto clutching her, shaking with sobs and making her eyes soften from the growing anger they once held.

Crouching slightly, she pulled him closer and held him just as tightly, letting him vent out his feelings in her embrace as she whispered sweet words into his ear.

"Shh… It's okay, Naruto… Let it out…" she consoled, smiling when she saw the looked her husband and daughter were giving her. After a moment, she gently held him away from her, reaching a hand up to wipe away his tears with her thumb. "I don't want you to go…but I know that staying here will only kill you inside."

He said nothing, wiping away his tears in silence.

"You said that you can bring him back, right?" she asked to the Gullwings.

"Yes, you have our word," Yuna promised.

"We wouldn't keep Whiskers away from you guys. You're important to him." Rikku chimed in.

"Family needs to stick together, right?" Paine asked rhetorically, giving a faint smile.

Trisha smiled at their answers, turning her attention back to Naruto. "Oh, Naruto…" she began softly, cupping his cheek affectionately. "I want you to give me a solid promise."

"Anything," he assured her.

"…Promise me that you'll come back safe and sound. I don't want to lose my son…"

He gave her a smile so bright that she bet the sun would've been envious. "You bet…kaa-chan."

She smiled back and hugged him once again, this time being joined by her husband and daughter. "I'm holding you and your friends to that, sochi."

They stayed there for a few moments, the family welcoming their newest member with open and loving arms.

* * *

Late that night, after helping him with writing his resignation and packing some clothes and supplies, the Ichiraku family and Naruto were led to the patch of trees behind the Hokage Mountain. The Gullwings had said it was where they had parked their _ship_ ; something that confused them since they thought ships needed to be on the water.

So, it was not hard to imagine their surprise at seeing the blocky, colorful structure that the girls had called a Gummi Ship (2). It was out of this World for them; further driving home that there _were_ other Worlds out there to see.

Turning to face his new family, Naruto rubbed the back of his head with a smile. "Well…this is it."

"You sure you haven't forgotten anything?" Trisha asked.

"Everything was packed by you, kaa-chan," he fired back in amusement.

"Don't get smart with me, young man," she scolded.

"Y-Yes ma'am," he replied nervously before he blinked at the locket she handed to him.

"I wanted to give you that when the adoption was legalized; but, that never happened," she explained before motioning him to open it.

Inside the two open halves were two photos. The first had her and Teuchi smiling at him while the second had him and Ayame seated together at the ramen stand.

"Thanks… I'll treasure it," he promised her.

She pulled him in for a hug, kissing the top of his head. "Come back in one piece, sochi…"

"I will."

Teuchi smiled at their moment before he stepped up and handed Naruto a small pack. "That's a traveling medical kit. You never know if it may save your life out there."

"Thanks, Pops. I'll keep it on me wherever I go."

"Good man," he bid, ruffling the blonde's head. "Stay safe and have some fun out there, kid."

"I will!"

Finally, Ayame stepped forward and unclasped the cord that she wore around her neck. Pulling the end of it out from under her clothes, she revealed it to be a token that was attached to a small chain. The token was a golden crescent moon while the chain had star shapes to it (3).

"I found that when I saw a star fall out of the sky on the night you first came to the stand. I thought it was a sign and kept it on me ever since," she explained with a smile, putting it on him and pressing the moon gently against his chest. "I want you to have it, so that you can carry our fortune with you."

He smiled warmly, and the two siblings shared a tight embrace. "Thanks, nee-chan…"

"You'd better stay out of trouble, otouto," she threatened in jest.

"No promises for _that_ one," he responded in just as much jest.

"I figured you would say that," she fired back before the two broke apart with a laugh.

Yuna floated over to them with a polite smile. "Ready to go, Naruto?"

"Yeah," he answered, shouldering his pack after safely tucking his locket and token under his orange jacket. He walked up the small ramp into the ship, stopping near the top to turn back to his family and give them a wave. "I'll be back, and I'll have plenty of stories to tell."

The ramp then closed as the Gummi Ship powered on and started to rise off the ground. As it turned around to take off into orbit, Trisha whispered, "You'd better, sochi…"

And moments after she spoke those words, the Gummi Ship shot off, sending Naruto Uzumaki and the Gullwings off on their adventure.

* * *

 **1~ I decided to** _ **borrow**_ **Trisha Elric from** **Fullmetal Alchemist** **for the role of Ayame's mother. There was never a mention of Ayame's mother, so I improvised to bring more emotion into this opening chapter. How'd I do?**

 **2~ The Gummi Ship used by the Gullwings is the Highwind, the first ship you get in** **Kingdom Hearts 2**

 **3~ Before anyone asks; YES, this is a keychain for a KeyBlade. Can you guys guess which one?**

 **And that's the end! Off to their first World and the start of their adventure!**

 **An emotional first chapter, but I hope to have the future chapters to be MUCH more lighthearted and fun. After all, you got the Number One Knucklehead of the Leaf teamed up with a cute trio of treasure hunting faeries!**

 **What mischief WON'T those four get into?!** _ ***grins***_

 **Please leave me some reviews! They help give me the drive to keep going, after all!**

 **Until next time!**

 _ **~pain17ification~**_


	2. Chapter 2: Repercussions for Leaving

**Yo! How goes it, everyone? ^_^**

 **Here comes the second chapter!**

 **Before I start, I said that this would be a lighthearted story with funny moments at the core. However, as the previous chapter showed, that doesn't mean that it won't touch on emotional/serious themes. Those moments give this story more depth; so, be sure to enjoy the laughs** _ **and**_ **the drama.**

 **Disclaimer:** _ **pain17ification**_ **owns nothing**

* * *

 _On Fortune's Wings_

 _Chapter Two: Repercussions of Leaving the Nest_

* * *

The following morning in the Hidden Leaf, the Ichiraku Family was seen setting up for the day, and Ayame couldn't help but notice how her mother was unconsciously prepping more ingredients than necessary. "Mom…?"

"Hmm?" she hummed back, sounding distracted.

"I…think you're making too much."

Trisha blinked at that, her unfocused gaze seeing what she was doing. "Oh…" she began, her voice soft. "So I am…"

Teuchi placed a hand on his wife's shoulder, giving her an understanding smile. "I almost expected to see him running down the road just now before I remembered…"

She sighed to herself. "He's really gone, then…"

"He'll be back," Ayame assured her, sharpening some of the kitchen knives. "He promised he would, and we all know how Naruto-kun is about his promises."

That made Trisha smile. "He never makes a promise he wouldn't keep…"

Someone clearing their throat earned their attention, and they saw a silver-haired Jonin wearing a face mask outside their stand. "Sorry to bother you all, but Lord Hokage told me to escort you to his office."

Trisha frowned faintly, but Teuchi calmed her by grasping her hand. Turning to the Jonin, he replied, "Just let us put away any food we took out and we'll follow you."

"Of course," Kakashi returned, giving them an eye-smile as he waited patiently for them to close their stand. Taking the lead, he guided them to the Hokage Tower and escorted them inside before he moved to stand behind his two Genin. Standing beside Team 7 was their old Academy Instructor, Iruka Umino. "I brought them as requested, sir."

"Good," Sarutobi replied, his hat off his head and resting next to an opened letter addressed to him. Between the hat and letter was a clothed object that was still wrapped. "I asked you all here to-"

"Um, Lord Hokage," Sakura spoke up awkwardly, growing nervous when all eyes landed on her. "S-Shouldn't we wait for Naruto to show up?" she finished with a slight stutter, just realizing that she interrupted her commanding officer.

"Normally, yes," the Hokage answered. "However, the point of this meeting concerns Naruto and this letter on my desk. It would seem Naruto has turned in his headband and withdrawn himself from the Ninja Corps."

That caught her, Iruka, and even Sasuke by surprise while Kakashi looked seemingly impassive and the Ichiraku looked calm. "He…quit?" Sakura repeated, unable to believe that the blonde knucklehead would give up at anything. "But why?"

"That's what I hope to figure out. In this letter, he says that he was given a quote _'more exciting offer'_ ; but he didn't detail exactly what that _offer_ was. He also gives mention to myself, to Team 7 individually, to Iruka, and to the Ichiraku."

Proving his point, he unwrapped the clothed object beside the letter and displayed the headband that Iruka had given to Naruto after the incident with Mizuki and the Sacred Scroll. Iruka's eyes went wide at the sight, unable to come up with the words to ask why it was there and not on Naruto's head.

"I'll read his letter aloud so that you all can hear what he had to say," the Hokage continued, holding the resignation to eye level.

 _To everyone_

 _I'm sorry, but I can't stay in the Ninja Corps. Things have come up recently and I was given a more exciting offer than being a shinobi. This decision was difficult for me to make, but recent events have made the decision easier on my mind._

 _First, to Old Man Hokage. You kept things secret from me for many years, and I've lost so much of my trust in you. Why was it that I had to find out I held the Kyuubi from someone who was trying to kill me?_

"Wait," Sasuke spoke up, frowning at everyone. "We were told that the Kyuubi was killed by Lord Fourth. Was everything we were taught a lie?"

Sarutobi sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Yes, the younger generation of villagers and Genin only know that the fox was defeated by my predecessor. In reality, Naruto was chosen to hold the Kyuubi because he was the best option at the time. While he was the _best_ option, that was for the whole of the village and not for him as an individual."

"That's a gross understatement," Trisha bit out, narrowing her eyes at the Hokage before turning to the two Genin. "Because the younger generation was meant to be left in the dark, a law was made so that only certain people could speak of the Kyuubi and its connection to Naruto-kun. It was supposed to be a way for the future generation to enjoy the time of peace the village has had since the Third Great Ninja War."

"Unfortunately," Kakashi took over, "that didn't stop the older generation from telling the younger to avoid or mistreat Naruto. Children won't question their parents when they grow up, so they listened, and Naruto was left alone. But, since Naruto was also not told, he was left with a lingering question of why he was treated so poorly and with no one to answer that question; at least, not until Mizuki tricked him into stealing the Sacred Scroll and attempted to kill him."

"But that…" Sakura began.

"Isn't fair?" Sarutobi finished for her. "I know that, and so do other people who have looked past the bias against Naruto. But, my law was made under the hope that Naruto would be accepted by his fellow generation and find people to call friends."

"What of his parents?" Sasuke asked, understanding dawning on him that he and Naruto shared some similarities in their lives. Both were reminders of two of the most infamous nights in the village's history.

"They were killed on the night he was born; the night the Kyuubi attacked."

"And who were they?" Ayame asked.

"That information is classified," he answered, only to get frowns from her, Trisha, and surprisingly Sasuke.

"Was it classified from Naruto, too?" Trisha ground out.

"…Yes."

The rage she was visibly showing made the hidden ANBU in the office tense. "No wonder he doesn't trust you anymore! To keep not only the Kyuubi but his FAMILY a secret from him for his entire life?! Who do you think you are to deny a child their RIGHT to knowing their family?!"

"I am the Hokage of the village, and every decision, no matter how cruel or unfair on the surface, is made for the sake of my village and its people; Naruto included."

"It sure as hell doesn't sound that way!" Trisha argued. "By the looks of things, Naruto was chosen to be a scapegoat for the hatred of this place, and I've seen it kill him on the inside every day of his life!" Her green eyes started to well up with angered tears. "How would you, or anyone else in this village, feel if you were in his place?! Because I know how I would feel; I'd feel betrayed and jump at _any_ opportunity to escape this hell I'd call life!"

Teuchi reached out and grabbed her shoulder, bringing her back into his arms just in time for her to lose her emotional battle and cry into his shoulder. Ayame was still fighting her tears, not willing to let them fall so that she could keep glaring at the Hokage.

"What else does he say?" Sasuke pressed, for once having an interest in the life of one he called _Loser_.

Sarutobi was visibly grateful that the young Uchiha had decided to move things along. Turning his attention back to the letter, he continued to read Naruto's message to them.

 _I understand that the fox should be kept under wraps because it could cause a panic; even if most of the village already knows about it. But this was something that concerned me more than anyone else. What if I never found out until it was too late?_

 _No offense, but that was some bullshit judgment._

The Hokage didn't need to look up from the letter to know that Trisha was glaring at him again in full agreement to Naruto's eloquent wording.

 _But, I won't say anything else about it. Choices of the past can't be changed, and we – who live in the now – must live with the consequences; something I remember Iruka-sensei telling me._

Iruka looked both surprised and proud that Naruto remembered something he had said during one of their more serious discussions. It was during one of Naruto's detentions, and he remembered his wayward student questioning why the villages were split apart and why people were always so sad or angry.

It was a rare moment of depressed insight that Iruka had witnessed from Naruto; something that the man believed Naruto could've shown _far_ more often than he wished to.

 _Since I brought him up, I'll speak to Iruka-sensei next._

 _Sensei, I wanted to say sorry for giving your headband back to you. When you put it on my head that night, I felt so happy, and I knew that someone else was finally in my corner. I wanted so badly to show you that your belief in me wasn't wasted; but, I can't help thinking that this resignation will prove just how wasted it was._

 _So, I'm sorry; sincerely sorry._

Iruka clenched his fists at his sides, wishing that Naruto was here so that he could tell the boy that it was _not_ wasted; that he was willing to support any decision he made if it made him happy. To Iruka, Naruto had become a pseudo-brother that he had hoped to see become a man. Whether that man was a ninja or someone else didn't matter in the slightest.

 _Next, I wanted to say something to Team 7 individually._

 _Kakashi-sensei, I don't know how our relationship as teacher and student would've gone; but, I'm sorry for disregarding it before giving it a chance. Our test showed me that you were really strong, and I bet I could've learned a lot from you._

 _In a way, I've decided to give Sasuke and Sakura the bells to pass your test. If it means they can keep going as shinobi, then I'm ready to back off for their sakes._

Kakashi sighed at that, depressed that the last link to his late teacher was gone. They would never get to know one another beyond their first meetings, and Kakashi would never be able to reveal how Naruto's father was a great man who would've been a wonderful father to him.

He just hoped that, when he met them again, Minato-sensei and Kushina-senpai would forgive him.

 _Sakura… I don't know what else to say other than this; I finally get it._

At that, Sakura looked lost while the others looked curious.

 _You tried telling me many times that you weren't interested in me, and I kept on believing that I'd win you over if I tried hard enough. But, I finally get how you really see me; and it honestly hurts more than I thought it would._

 _I'm sorry that I'm not "raised well enough" for you; but did you ever stop and think that the reason my parents didn't "raise me better" was because they were never there in the first place? Or did the fact that I'm an orphan slip through your mind?_

Sakura choked at that, honestly forgetting that very fact. She remembered saying those words to Sasuke, thinking that they were alone; but Naruto must've overheard her. Looking back, it was needlessly cruel to say such things; even if his parents _were_ there.

 _Next time, don't just go talking about people behind their backs. You never know when those same people could be the ones you need to rely on in the future._

Looking away in shame as she fought her growing tears, Sakura began to realize why Naruto was acting so differently the day they were assigned the same sensei. He must've been so depressed and upset with her; and she didn't blame him for feeling that way.

Sparing a glance at the Ichiraku Family, she winced at the frown Ayame had and at how angry Trisha was becoming once again. They didn't say anything, and she almost wished that they would've yelled at her; but that probably would've let her get off easy.

 _And lastly, Sasuke._

 _To be honest, I never really hated you; even if it seemed like I did. If anything, I was jealous of you and wished I could've been like you._

That made Sasuke blink in surprise.

 _You were so good at everything, taking every lesson and exercise before dishing them back like nothing. Meanwhile, I struggled with everything and couldn't even perform a simple_ _Clone Jutsu_ _while you could spit out a freakin'_ _Fireball_ _!_

 _But, while I was jealous of you…I also thought that we could've been friends; like Mikoto-san wished we would._

Sasuke started at his mother's name, and the adults in the room looked much more interested while Sakura looked confused.

 _It might surprise you, but Mikoto-san was actually one of the few people who treated me nicely. She would talk to me, bring me some food sometimes, and just be there if I needed someone to talk to. Alongside the Ichiraku Family, she was someone I cared for; and it killed part of me on the inside when I heard that your brother had killed her and your clan._

Sasuke fought a growl at the mention of the massacre, focusing on what Naruto's letter had to say.

 _She would bring up you and Itachi a lot whenever we talked; mostly you, though. The way she talked about you showed me how a mother's love for their kids looks like; and once again, I was jealous of you. You had such wonderful people in your life from the start; and even if you lost them, you at least have memories to look back on while I don't._

 _I thought we could've understood one another, since we both didn't have families for large parts of our lives. And Mikoto-san hoped that we could've been friends too. She even asked me to try and be your friend; which was hard to do since my jealousy got in the way._

 _Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that I never hated you, and that I really hope you get Itachi back for killing Mikoto-san. She was a great person who was taken away from you and me way too soon._

 _Give him hell, Sasuke; for both of us._

Sasuke had his head down as his fists trembled at his sides. The whole time… All those times Naruto tried to prove he was _better_ than him were nothing like that at all. Instead, they were meant to be a way to prove himself so that Sasuke would finally acknowledge him.

And Naruto knew his mother. That was so unexpected; but it explained the various times his mother had taken longer than normal on some of her shopping trips. She must've been talking to Naruto then, asking him to be his friend while showing him kindness he had rarely been offered.

But, Sasuke had spurned each of Naruto's attempts; labeling him a _Loser_ and not seeing just how much they both had in common. His list of reasons for taking Itachi down had gained another; getting justice for taking away someone who meant so much to not just him, but to someone who was the closest thing he could've had to a friend.

"I remember that woman," Ayame spoke up softly, earning Sasuke's attention. "She treated Naruto to ramen once as thanks for helping her with some of her shopping. She was…so nice to him and in general." She gave Sasuke a sad smile and added, "She must've been a wonderful mother to you, Sasuke-san."

Sasuke swallowed the lump that had grown in his throat, turning away so that no one would see his emotions breaking through years of holding them back. "Yeah," he finally choked out. "She… She was…"

Trisha gave the Uchiha scion a sad glance before she moved over to him, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder that made him flinch. When she had his full attention, she gave him a smile only a mother could give and said, "Don't think about any regrets, Sasuke. They'll only break you down. Instead, make the most of what you have now while preparing yourself for what you need to do."

His brows slowly furrowed and she saw his onyx eyes gain a fiery determination as he nodded once to her. "I will," he swore to her; but she knew he was also swearing it to himself.

Sarutobi looked back to the letter before offering it to Teuchi and his family. "The rest of the letter feels much more private than the rest. If you don't wish for me to-"

"Go ahead, Lord Hokage," the man cut off. "What's been said already was already private enough, and I think everyone should hear the rest."

"Very well, then."

 _And finally, to the Ichiraku Family._

 _This letter could never be enough to express how grateful I am to the three of you. You all were there for me, supporting me and believing in me since the day we met. You didn't just give me delicious food and people to talk to; you gave me the closest thing I could ever have to a family._

 _Pops, I look up to you as my father. You gave me advice that helped me understand what it is to be a man, and you helped me find my own strength when I was down. If you could take someone like me in, give them warm food, and show them kindness, then I doubt there's anyone in the world who wouldn't respect you._

Teuchi chuckled softly at that, using a thumb to brush off a stray tear.

 _Ayame-nee, you helped look out for me and loved me like family. You tried to help me understand girls (even if most of it went over my head), and you never lost your patience with me; always willing to listen with the smile that I love. You mean so much to me, and the only thing I regret is how we're not related by blood. But, the bond we have is more than enough for me, nee-chan._

Ayame sniffed and smile through her tears, feeling touched by Naruto's words even though the same message had been given last night.

 _And Trisha… There's so much I can say about how much I appreciate, care about, and admire you. If I had to sum it up into a single phrase, it'd be this:_

 _You are my mother._

Trisha smiled beautifully, her heart filled to the brim with warmth at Naruto saying those words again. No matter how many times she would hear them, it would always touch her and make her grateful that he had become part of the lives of herself and her family.

 _That's all I need to say, because it's more than enough to get my point across._

 _I love you all, very much…my family._

 _-Naruto_

Sarutobi fought a sigh as he finished the letter, folding it before giving the Ichiraku Family his attention as Hokage. "It's more than obvious to see that Naruto trusts the three of you more than anyone else in this village. As such, you all have the best idea of where he might be and who he might have left with. As Hokage, I could take military action and get the answers out of you through force," that made them and Sakura tense while Sasuke, Kakashi, and Iruka frowned, "but I don't want to do such a thing. Instead, I'll ask you to please tell me where he is."

Teuchi looked to his wife, wondering what she wanted to do. She looked back and smiled softly, placing a hand on his arm for a moment before stepping forward. "Naruto is…gone. He left last night be means beyond my understanding with three women who saw more in him than most of this village; yourself included."

"Where did he go?" the aged man pressed.

"I don't know," Trisha answered truthfully. "I don't know where those women are taking him or how to truly describe how they left; but, what I _do_ know is that you won't find him. If you want him back, you'll have to wait until he returns and try to convince him." She closed her eyes, never losing her smile as she finished, "He's beyond this World."

Those words would ring through the minds of everyone other than the Ichiraku Family for weeks to come.

* * *

"Whoa…" Naruto gasped out, looking to the expanse of light and color that surrounded the Gummi Ship as it traversed the pathways between Worlds. "This is so awesome…"

"I know, right?" Rikku agreed, sitting in his hair as she looked outside too. "I never get tired of seeing all the beautiful colors as we fly around."

"I do," Paine spoke up from her seat, her small size allowing the human-sized place to act as a perfect lounging area for her. "You see it once, you see it dozens of times."

"That doesn't make it any less cool, though!" Rikku argued with a pout.

"Alright, you two," Yuna spoke up, taking on human size so that she could steer the ship. "We don't need any arguments during Naruto's first experience on a Gummi Ship. Let him make his own decision on how the atmosphere looks and feels."

Paine shrugged and resumed lounging, more than willing to enjoy the silence. Rikku, on the other hand, pouted still and crossed her arms with a huff. Naruto gave an awkward chuckle at that, reaching up to try and pat her gently with his hand.

"Uh… I appreciate how much you like it, Rikku," he tried to say, not knowing if it would help or if it was right.

It must've been, because Rikku brightened up and floated off his head before she hugged his arm as best she could. "Oh, I knew you would like it as much as me, Whisker-kun!"

Said whiskered cheeks turned a bit red at the affectionate gesture, much to the amusement of Yuna and Paine. "So, uh…" He gave an awkward cough to try and regain his composure. "Which World are we going to visit first?"

"We're actually going to be making a stop at one of our safehouses," Yuna answered. "To keep our treasures safe, we split them up between multiple safehouses we've spread throughout many Worlds. The one we're going to is in a World called Twilight Town."

"Twilight Town? Sounds interesting."

"Yeah, it is!" Rikku proclaimed, letting go of Naruto's arm so that she could float over to her seat. "There's lots of people there, and they have this _really_ big clock tower, and these things called Struggle Tournaments, and even a mansion that people from Twilight Town say is haunted!"

Clearly, Rikku was excited, much to Naruto's amusement.

"Alright then," he began, grinning almost as brightly as she was. "How much longer until we get there?"

"Not long," Yuna replied, checking their map. "It shouldn't be more than a couple of hours or so."

"That long?" he asked in surprise.

"Oh, don't worry so much," she assured him. "Time will fly by. It may seem like a while, but it never feels that long for us."

"In the meantime," Paine spoke up, "why don't you get some rest? We left rather later from your World, and you're probably pretty tired."

He was about to deny that, but a yawn escaped him before he could. Looking sheepish, he agreed to her suggestion as Rikku got up to show him to where they slept.

Left alone with her friend, Paine asked, "Why Twilight Town? You forget what we saw last time we were there?"

"No, I have not forgotten," Yuna answered. "But, they weren't looking for us and weren't doing anything to attract attention from the people. I don't know exactly what those white husk things were, but I'm sure they'll leave us be if we don't bother them."

"I'm not so sure about that; but, you're the boss," Paine relented.

"Thank you for understanding, Paine."

The course was set, and soon the Gullwings would touch down in the mysterious Twilight Town.

* * *

 **Tada! My first FanFiction update of the year 2018!**

 **So, how's it look? How'd I pull off the emotional letter and the responses to it? What do you all think of Naruto having known Mikoto before she died and how that knowledge is affecting Sasuke?**

 **And most importantly, what do you think will happen when the Gullwings arrive in Twilight Town?**

 **Leave your comments and any other feedback in your reviews, and I hope you all stay tuned for more of this story!**

 **Until next time!**

 _ **~pain17ification~**_


	3. Chapter 3: Twilight of the Maelstrom

**Hello, FanFiction Readers!**

 **Playing and beating** **Kingdom Hearts 3** **got me in the mood for this story. It also showed me just how far behind I've fallen on this, and ALL my story updates.**

 **I can't promise I'll improve my updating rate. I've already made failed promises on this site, and I won't do that again. I WILL apologize for my shortcomings, though. I'm sorry.**

 **Also, so you guys aren't confused, the beginning of this story takes place near the end of** **358/2 Days** **. That means that Sora is still asleep after the events of** **Chain of Memories** **and Roxas hasn't left Organization XIII.**

 **Disclaimer:** _ **pain17ification**_ **owns nothing**

* * *

 _On Fortune's Wings_

 _Chapter Three: Twilight of the Maelstrom_

* * *

Naruto's eyes were wide at the awestriking sight of Twilight Town. While not as encompassing as the Hidden Leaf, it was definitely a large place full of people. And Rikku was right about the town having an impressive clock tower that was both tall and decorated with external gears and bells.

"So, what do you think?" Yuna asked as she sat on his left shoulder. Pain was seated on his right while Rikku took her spot in his blonde hair.

"It's beautiful," he answered, walking through the Tram Common of the town. "There's a lot of people here, too. Do they know that you three are faeries?"

"We tend to avoid the public eye," Paine explained.

"But on occasion," Yuna continued, "we've interacted with people from other Worlds. Some of them were helpful, while others…"

"They were jerks who either tried to capture us or take our treasures," Rikku finished with a pout.

"You need to be careful who you talk to," Paine simplified, earning a nod from the whiskered blonde.

"Okay, so where's the safehouse for this World?" he asked.

"You should see a hole in the eastern wall of this part of Twilight Town," Yuna explained. "It leads to a small patch of woods that guide you to an old mansion. We hid our treasure in there since the people of this town think the place is haunted."

"Which it totally isn't!" Rikku added. "But that just makes it easier for us to keep our treasures hidden!"

He smiled at her enthusiasm before something invaded his natural senses and he sidestepped just in time to avoid a teenage boy, around his age, running past while looking behind him to two other teens. Due to not looking ahead, he didn't see Naruto and almost collided with him.

"C'mon guys! Pick up the pace!" he called out, finally looking in front of him as he ran up to some bulletin board.

"Slow down, Hayner!" the second boy called as he passed by Naruto. "Not all of us are as fast as you!"

The sole girl of the trio stopped in front of Naruto with an apologetic smile. "Sorry about my friend. When he gets pumped for something, he tends to not pay attention to his surroundings."

Naruto waved her off with a smile. "No worries. I'm kinda the same, actually."

She giggled at the sheepish admission. "I don't think I've ever seen you in town before. My name's Olette. My friends over there are Hayner and Pence."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Naruto Uzumaki."

She offered him a hand which he took as they shook. "Welcome to Twilight Town, Naruto. Sorry I can't show you around, but my friends and I are trying to make some munny and we need all the time we can get."

"Don't worry about it, and thanks for the warm welcome!" he replied as he waved her goodbye and watched her join her friends at the bulletin board. "She was pretty," he offhandedly commented as he resumed heading for the eastern wall.

"Hey, before we leave this area," Paine spoke up, "how about a change of clothes?"

"I agree," Yuna spoke up. "I can tell you like orange, but your clothes look like they've seen better days."

Looking down at his orange jacket and pants, Naruto sighed and scratched the back of his head at the sight of small tears and scuff marks scattered around his clothes.

"Yeah, I see your point. Let's find a clothing store, then," he acquiesced, walking around the Tram Common in search of a store. When he found one, he stepped inside and saw that the place looked empty. "Uh… Hello?"

"Just a moment, darling!" a woman's voice called from the back. "Have a look around, and I'll be with you in a second!"

Sharing a look with the Gullwings, they all shrugged before the girls floated off him and helped him look for a change of clothes. On occasion, each of the Gulls would point him to a piece of clothing, but most times he wordlessly rejected the suggestions. The ones he agreed with were a rust orange glove that was for his left hand, and a black pair of boots with equally orange buckles and soles.

"Good Lord, what in the World are you wearing, boy?!" the woman from earlier almost yelled, prompting Naruto to turn around and see a rather short woman with neatly cut hair, a slightly big nose, a black pair of glasses, and a nicely designed suit that was equally black.

"These are my old clothes," he answered. "I was hoping to get them replaced."

"That remains to be seen. However, I refuse to let you walk out of this store until we find you a more acceptable outfit, darling."

"Thanks! I'm Naruto Uzumaki!"

She rose a brow at his name briefly before mentally waving it off. "I am Edna Mode, owner of this store and the lead designer of everything you see here. Now, are there any preferences to what you wish to wear?"

"Not really, other than I want some orange. It's my favorite color, and I never really shopped for clothes before since I usually just wear another pair of what I have now."

Edna took note of the two items he had already selected from her store, as well as the swirl symbol she had seen on the back of his jacket. Nodding to herself, she motioned for him to stay put before she moved about her store with practiced ease. She grabbed a short-sleeved jacket, a shirt, and a pair of trousers.

Handing him the clothes, she directed him to a changing room and waited for him to get dressed. Absently, she noted the floating women that were accompanying the blonde boy and mentally approved of the clothes they were wearing. She smirked to herself at how the trio definitely had a style that fit them.

When Naruto stepped out, Edna nodded once in approval. "There! That look is perfect, darling!"

Naruto was wearing a black jacket that was left unzipped with zipper tag and sequin details on the pockets. Underneath, he wore a rust orange shirt with crimson swirling accents around his heart. Finishing his new look were a pair of black cropped trousers and the boots and glove from before. (1)

A grin was seen on his face at his new look, and he directed that grin to his friends. "What do you girls think?"

To their credit, the Gullwings were able to hide their blushing face rather well. That still didn't stop them from having the faintest bit of red on their cheeks; but it was a valiant effort, nonetheless.

Shaking out of their slight daze, Yuna replied first. "It suits you, Naruto-kun."

"Yeah! Looking good, Whisker-kun!"

Paine looked away slightly, but she had a smirk on her face. "Not bad, Uzumaki."

His grin grew at the compliments before he turned back to Edna. "I'll take a few copies of this, please."

"Of course. Let me just ring you up," she replied, moving to grab two extra copies of Naruto's outfit before leading him to the register to pay. "That'll be 2400 munny."

Naruto mentally cursed at that, remembering that he had no munny. Thankfully, Yuna floated over and offered Edna 2500 munny; the last hundred being a tip as thanks for helping them. Naruto gave the faery a grateful look before he grabbed the extra clothes and offered them to the Gulls, who used magic to put them in a temporary subspace.

"Thanks again, Mode-san!" he bid, earning a friendly smile from the woman.

"Anytime, darling. If you want to make any changes, come back and I'll work my magic," she replied as she watched them leave her store. "Nice boy," she added to herself as she proceeded to take Naruto's old clothes out back to be burned.

Back with the Gullwings, Naruto had just walked through the hole in the eastern wall and entered the woods. He saw that, despite there being plenty of trees, the area was still rather open, and it had an obvious path he could follow.

"You said that these woods lead to a mansion, right?" he asked.

"Yes. In that mansion is where we have stored a portion of our treasures," Yuna answered.

"Do you know anything about who might've stayed there before it became abandoned?"

"Not really. When we arrived here, it was already deserted and the rumors of it being haunted had already spread," Paine explained.

"There was the rea~lly weird vibe coming from the place when we first came, though," Rikku added, fighting the shudder that wanted to crawl up her spine. "It was like we were being watched or something."

Naruto frowned at that, but he kept going. They trusted the place, and if someone _was_ watching them, he'd be ready for them.

* * *

Within a small underground lab, a man in robes and red bandages was seen studying a group of monitors from behind a large keyboard. On one of the screens was Twilight Town, except it was empty and the figure was adding images of people as they typed away at the keyboard.

"Almost done?" a male voice asked as a teenager with spiky silver hair and a black blindfold walked up to the robed figure. He himself was dressed in a black uniform that was covered in an equally black zipped coat with the hood down to show his face.

"Merely halfway," the figure replied, their voice deep and masculine that held a level of wisdom and slight exhaustion. "Making a virtual representation of Twilight Town is proving to be more difficult than I anticipated."

"Well, I've been keeping tabs on Roxas. He's starting to unravel and will leave the Organization soon. Xion is also growing stronger, so I'm betting they'll have their final confrontation soon."

"To think that they could create a person with Sora's stolen memories…" the man mused with a tired sigh. "Truly, that boy makes things more complicated than they need to be."

"Can't blame Sora for being who he is, DiZ…" the teen defended. "Anyway, I noticed something when I returned here. You remember those faeries from around a year ago?"

"The ones who have used a part of this mansion to hide their self-titled treasures? Yes." He then turned to look to the teen from over his shoulder. "Why do you ask?"

"They're back, and they brought someone new; someone I've never seen in Twilight Town before."

"An unknown? Curious… What did you feel from him?"

"A surprising level of Light, but a hidden Darkness that I'm not sure he's aware of. He hasn't done much other than get a change of clothes, and those girls are leading him here. My guess: they've invited him into their group."

"Keep an eye on them while they're here, Riku," DiZ ordered. "If that boy has that kind of Light, he may find himself wielding his own Key; and that will bring unwanted attention to himself."

Riku nodded and left the man to his work, making sure to hide the entrance to the lab in the mansion's library. He then stayed out of sight as the doors to the mansion were pushed open by the unknown boy in question.

 _'Let's see what makes you special, kid.'_

* * *

With a small grunt of effort, Naruto pushed open the double doors of the old mansion and took his first look at the worn down and dusty place. He stepped inside with the Gullwings floating behind him, and he saw that the mansion was two stories and that there were two sets of stairs that led to the upper level.

Other than that, and how one of the ground level doors was damaged and blocked off, the place looked textbook deserted.

"Huh, guess it really is abandoned," he mused. "So, where do you guys usually store your treasure?"

"We created a bunker in the dining room," Paine answered, pointing to the unblocked door on the ground floor of the place. "Upstairs are a library and a single room that's all white and has the crayon drawings in it. Might've been a kid's room."

Looking to the door that led to the so-called "white room", Naruto blinked when he felt…something coming from the room. His brows furrowed and he took a few steps toward the stairs before Yuna called out to him.

"Naruto…?"

He blinked and turned to her. "Yeah?"

"The dining room is this way," she informed, pointing to the door that Rikku and Paine were floating in front of.

"I know that," he replied, turning his gaze back to the door upstairs. "But…something feels off about this place; especially from that white room Paine mentioned."

The still hidden Riku rose a brow at that, impressed with the intuition that the whiskered blonde had.

"Off how…?" Rikku asked curiously.

"It feels like there's somebody in there," Naruto answered. "I want to take a look really quick."

Concerned, the trio of faeries flew after Naruto as he ascended the stairs and approached the ordinary looking door. Grabbing the handle, he gave it a testing turn and felt that it was unlocked; which supported the mansion being abandoned.

Opening the door, he saw that it was ALL white and was furbished with a desk and stool, a large table with a chair on each end, and a windowed cabinet. The wall opposite the door was almost entirely a window with a translucent white curtain while the other walls had drawings made from crayon taped and tacked to them. The drawings didn't make much sense to Naruto, save for one that caught him by surprise.

It wasn't attached to any of the walls and was resting on the corner of the table closest to the door. He reached over and held it up, seeing a drawing of him; except that this version had half their hair blonde and the other half red. The blonde half had the Hidden Leaf symbol next to it, while the redheaded half had the red swirl symbol that he had on his old clothes.

"This is me…" he said softly. "But…how?"

The girls studied the image and saw that the drawing of Naruto had his eyes closed and tears going down the redheaded side's face. Both halves were smiling though, despite one of them looking to be smiling through some depressed feelings.

"Are you going to be okay, Naruto?" Yuna asked, concerned for her new friend.

"I think so…" he replied, gently folding up the picture and pocketing it. "Let's get outta here. This room gives me the creeps."

With that, he turned on his heel and left the room while the girls gave it one last glance before following him. Yuna lead them back to the dining room door, opening it to show them a dusty room with a destroyed table in the center and the chairs pushed against the walls.

"We've been hiding some of our treasures in here," she explained to Naruto. "There's a hidden compartment that we've made with our magic underneath the table. Your chakra should react to it."

Intrigued, Naruto gathered a small portion of chakra to his right arm as he approached the table, crouching down to reach underneath it. To his surprise, the air shimmered like disturbed water before he felt a ringed latch.

"Good! Now give it a tug," Rikku told him, watching with her friends as Naruto opened up the cellar-styled door. The table, having been attached to the door via magic, was lifted up as well.

Within the hidden compartment, Naruto's azure eyes took in a pile of gems, odd artifacts, and even a couple of unique weapons that gave off an almost heavenly glow; at least to him.

"Whoa…" he gasped out, stuck in place while the girls dropped a scroll each into the pile.

Yuna dropped one labeled "Hidden Cloud Sacred Treasures".

Rikku dropped one labeled "Hidden Mist Swords".

And Paine dropped one labeled "Reanimation Jutsu".

Having finished adding to their loot, the girls closed the cellar-style door and relocked it with their combined magic. "There we go!" Yuna declared before the trio turned to Naruto. "And now, we return to the ship."

"Were those scrolls from my World?"

"Yep!" Rikku answered happily. "One was from some vault in a village that was almost touching the clouds."

 _'The Hidden Cloud, I'm guessing,'_ Naruto mused.

"The other," Rikku continued, "was in this place _covered_ in mist! There was a lot of fighting going on, too!"

 _'That would be the Hidden Mist; though I wonder why there's fighting going on…'_

"The last was from your village," Paine rounded out. "It was found in this underground bunker that looked like it was once a laboratory of sorts. It was buried under some rubble."

"Hidden labs?" Naruto repeated as he and the girls headed for the exit of the mansion. "That's weird…"

"At any rate, we can explore some more, if you want?" Yuna offered. "This is your first new World, after all."

"I'm fine with exploring a bit more. I'd like to see that clock tower up close, too."

Nodding, Yuna and her friends retook their spots on his shoulders and head as Naruto headed back towards town. Meanwhile, Riku had returned to DiZ and noticed that he had made a larger chunk of the data version Twilight Town while he was observing the Gullwings.

"How close would you say you are?" he asked.

The man kept typing away as he answered, "Roughly two-thirds there. I should be finished by the time you bring Roxas here."

"Right. I'm going to head out then. That kid and those girls don't seem to be a problem. They're exploring the town before they leave this World."

"Try to keep tabs on his progress, Riku. I don't expect you to follow him everywhere, but if you happen to see or feel his presence, observe and let me know."

"Right…"

* * *

"Man… I thought the sunsets back home were awesome," Naruto mused with a serene smile, watching the sky bathed in the orange glow of the descending sun. The way it lit up the city was better than how it would make the forests surrounding the Hidden Leaf look ablaze.

"It's moments like this that I look forward to witnessing in the other Worlds," Yuna softly agreed, happily perched on his shoulder.

"It's better than most places, anyway," Paine tried to wave off, but she too was relaxing in her spot.

"Aw~! Paine likes it!" Rikku teased, laying on her stomach in Naruto's hair with her head resting on her hands. "This was a good first World, huh?"

"Definitely," Naruto agreed. "So, what's next on the trip schedule?"

"The closest World to this one is Hollow Bastion. There's a Gummi Ship garage there that we need to see before we make any more long-distance trips," Paine answered.

"She's right," Yuna confirmed. "The trip from your World to this one put some unexpected stress on the ship. We'll refuel and repair when we get there."

"Sounds good," Naruto replied, never taking his gaze away from the sunset.

It wasn't until something white poked into his sight that he looked away and tried to spot the white blur. When he caught it, he saw that it was a vaguely humanoid looking thing that was moving across the rooftops and heading for the woods towards the mansion.

"Hey!" he called out, standing up and jostling the girls before he shocked them by jumping off the clock tower and landing on the closest rooftop before giving chase. "Get back here!"

"Naruto!" Rikku tried getting his attention while holding onto his hair. "What is it?"

"Some weird white thing is heading for the mansion! We gotta catch it!"

Paine blinked before giving Yuna a pointed look that she frowned at, nodding in understanding. Tightening her grip on his jacket, Yuna ordered, "Pick up the pace, Naruto! It might be after our treasures and we don't know what it could do with them!"

She felt guilty at the lie, but she knew that this was something Naruto needed to experience firsthand. If he was going to stay with them throughout their adventures, then he needed to be aware of what was out there.

He needed to be prepared.

* * *

"Seems like he's about to have his first encounter with the Nobodies, DiZ," Riku spoke through an earpiece.

 _"Nobodies here in Twilight Town? They're growing bolder,"_ the man mused.

"Should I intervene?"

 _"No. We need to see how he handles this before we do anything. If his Light is strong enough to create a Key, then we will need to keep a closer eye on him."_

"I get it," Riku replied, cutting the connection before following the Gullwings.

* * *

"Stop right there!" Naruto ordered, having leapt from rooftops to the trees of the woods before landing between the white husk and the mansion gates. He took a ready stance with his only kunai held in a reverse grip in his right hand. "I'm not letting you through!"

The husk stayed where it stood, swaying side to side and showing that it had a natural flexibility that shinobi back home would probably kill for. The way its body moved was too fluid to be human.

"Be careful, Naruto," Yuna warned. "This thing isn't human."

"Then what is it?" he asked before the husk sprang into action.

(" _Kingdom Hearts_ OST: Tension Rising")

Naruto rolled to the right, dodging the husk that had contorted itself into a wheel, flying and spinning at him before landing perfectly. Naruto sprang from his roll, launching himself at the husk and taking a swing with his kunai.

However, the blade only pushed aside the husk's gelatinous body, throwing Naruto off balance and making him tumble into his landing. Confused, he leapt back from a lunging headbutt from the creature and whipped out a small salvo of shuriken at it. Like the kunai, they had no effect on the husk.

"Fire!" Rikku yelled, launching a small orb of flame at the creature, striking it with her magic and making it back off. "Regular weapons won't work, Whiskers!"

"Then what the hell do I do?!" he cried back, rolling away from another lunge.

"Use your chakra!" Yuna ordered, using her own magic to enshroud her friends in a translucent barrier. "Protect!"

"Slow!" Paine added, striking the husk with her magic and making it move at half its normal speed. "Your chakra should have the same properties as our magic when it comes to hitting this thing! Hurry up!"

Nodding, Naruto put away his kunai and focused chakra into his hands. He had discovered this method on accident when he was practicing chakra control during the Academy, but he never had the opportunity to ask anyone what it could do. The plan was to find out now.

With his hands covered in an azure energy, Naruto rushed the husk and threw a punch at its head. To his joy, the blow landed and sent the creature flying back into a tree.

"Ha! Take that!" he yelled in triumph.

"Look out!" the Gullwings all yelled before Naruto was struck from behind by another of those husks, sending him stumbling forward with a grunt of pain.

"Don't let your guard down," Yuna admonished as three more of them appeared, making the total five. "These things never fight alone."

Naruto glared at the husks, chakra still running through his hands as he reequipped his kunai. The five moved so that they surrounded the four Gullwings, cutting off most areas of escape.

"Any ideas?" Naruto asked.

"Your Clones could be a big help," Paine suggested, not taking her eyes from the husks.

Mentally agreeing with her, the whiskered blonde held his hands in a cross symbol and gathered his chakra. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

In front of each creature was a copy of the Uzumaki, who surprised them with a sucker punch to either the face of the body; depending on the choice the Clone made. The husks were sent back, and the real Naruto capitalized on it by leaping at a pair while Rikku launched a Blizzard spell at another.

"Faith!" Yuna called out, giving the blonde faery a boost in magical power while Paine used Daze to stun another husk before giving a flying kick to its face.

She looked to see Naruto cut down one of the husks, making it disappear in a burst of light and bubbles. Acting fast, she flew through the bubbles to restore her magical reserves before aiming at Naruto.

"Bravery!"

Magical light hit the teen, giving him an unexpected boost in strength that let him carve into the second husk he was aiming at in one swing. His Clones regrouped with him before the five blondes charged as one towards the remaining three husks, a conjoined battle cry escaping them during their charge.

The sudden presence of a thorny looking portal cut itself between the real Naruto and the husks, revealing another strange creature that got a preemptive shot to his gut. The blow was heavy enough to knock the wind out of him and sent him flying back before the new arrival reshaped its body into a bladed discus that sliced through the four Clones.

When it returned to its original shape, Naruto saw that it had a vaguely humanoid body that was covered in a purple and silver bodysuit. Its segmented arms were each lined by four blades resembling spikes, with both the blades and segments alternating from silver to purple. On its head was a small cap strapped by bandages with a long cloth hanging down in front of its face, which was mostly silver with a purple tip emblazoned with a small, white symbol that he saw on those husks.

"Not good!" Paine grunted out, gathering magic in preparation. "Those things are much tougher than what we were just fighting!"

"A tactical retreat may be in order," Yuna mused as she and her friends floated beside a recovering Naruto.

"You think they'll just let us leave?" Rikku asked rhetorically.

Naruto stared down the three husks and spiky creature with a small growl. He wasn't used to this, only having combat experience against fellow students at the Academy and Kakashi during the Bell Test. And even then, that experience was minimal since Naruto made a fool of himself in that test.

Frustration started to grow within him as he tried thinking of how to help his new friends get out of this. Light bounced off his eye, making him cringe before he looked down to see the token that Ayame had given him before he left.

 _"I want you to have it, so that you can carry our fortune with you."_

He reached his right hand up to gently grasp the token, looking at the moon and stars that made it. His grip tightened around it as he mentally prayed to the family that he left back in his home World.

 _'I could really use that fortune now, Ayame-nee…'_

(Stop Music)

The token, as if responding to his prayer, gave a brilliant glow that engulfed Naruto and his friends. Naruto used his free arm to cover his eyes from the brightness as he felt a weight form in his grip, tightening his fingers around what felt like a handle.

When the light cleared, he saw that he was holding a strange weapon that his friends were staring at in open shock. The guard was styled as a pair of shooting stars while the blade was blue that bled into purple as it reached the tip. The blade itself was decorated with white stars and the teeth of the weapon was a golden crescent moon and a star. A feeling of comforting Light came from the weapon as he held it in his hand, reminding him of the warmth he felt when he was around the Ichiraku Family.

"It can't be…" Yuna whispered.

"No way…" Rikku followed suit.

"A Keyblade…" Paine finished off.

Confused about what they meant, Naruto refocused on the husks and creature they were fighting before this weapon appeared. Frowning, he tightened his grip on the handle and stepped forward, feeling a surge of confidence welling through him.

( _Naruto Shippuden_ OST: Flying Light)

At an unspoken signal, Naruto charged at his opponents while the supposed leader sunk into the ground as if it were water. The three husks all leapt up and reshaped their bodies into spinning wheels that flew at him.

He sidestepped the first, used his Keyblade to deflect the second, and finally swung at the third which struck its body and sent it tumbling to the ground. Continuing his attack, Naruto leapt up with a spin before he brought a descending slash down on the injured husk, defeating it and making it burst into more bubble.

His adrenaline heightened his instinctual awareness, so when his mind screamed at him to move, he listened without question and rolled to the side to avoid the first husk aiming to strike him from behind. In retaliation, he kicked off after his roll and regripped his weapon in a reverse grip, swinging it at the husk like he would his kunai and destroying it cleanly.

The single remaining husk was joined by the leader creature that burst from the ground and dove at him. While it went high, the husk went low as it contorted its body into a sideways wheel that slid toward him almost as fast as the diving creature.

"Haste!" he heard Yuna cry, his body feeling lighter as her spell hit him. In a burst of speed that he didn't have before, he leapt away from the dual strike just Rikku and Paine floated in front of him.

"Blizzard/Slow!" the two cried, the blonde hitting the husk with a blast of ice while the silverette slowed down the leader.

With a grin, Naruto used his temporary speed boost to dash toward the leader, swinging is Keyblade with all his might and hitting it full force in its body. The power behind the strike sent it flying into its slightly frozen ally, destroying the weaker one while the leader stumbled back to its feet.

Once again holding his new weapon in a reverse grip, Naruto blurred out of sight before he reappeared behind the leader with his body in post-swing stance and his eyes closed. When they shot open, the last of the strange creatures burst apart in a flash of light and bubbles while Naruto's Keyblade dispersed in a flash of light that reformed into the token he wore around his neck.

(Stop Music)

Releasing a breath of relief, Naruto stood up to his full height and ran back over to his friend with a bright grin. "We did it!"

Rikku shared in his enthusiasm, floating around his head with an eager cheer before she high-fived her fellow blonde. "Nice moves there, Whiskers!

"Yes, that was spectacular," Yuna complimented. "I'm also surprised that you managed to awaken a Keyblade."

"Is that what that weapon was called?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah," Paine answered. "They're supposed to be pretty rare, and they can unlock anything; even hearts, according to rumors we've heard."

"Unlock hearts…?" he repeated.

"Even we don't know what that means," Yuna admitted. "However, with that Keyblade, we can now go after even more treasure!"

"Think of the possibilities!" Rikku exclaimed with an excited fist pump.

Even Paine smirked at the notion, saying nothing.

"More treasure, huh?" the Uzumaki mused before smiling at his friends. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go to the next World already!"

Nodding in agreement, the three faeries floated off followed by their human friend. Unknown to them, Riku dropped down from his position in the trees as he watched them leave.

 _"It is as I feared,"_ he heard DiZ speak from his earpiece. _"Riku, we cannot let the Organization find out about this boy. Keep focusing on Roxas and Xion but do what you can to help keep that boy out of their notice."_

"I'll do what I can, DiZ…" he replied, cutting off the comm line before he mused to himself. "Maybe Mickey could help me out with this…"

Back with the Gullwings, they had just left Twilight Town and were on their way to Hollow Bastion. They had a Gummi Ship to repair.

* * *

 **1~ His outfit is like Noctis Lucis Caelum from** _ **Final Fantasy XV**_

 **And that's the end of this chapter! Sorry that this took so long, and I won't bother trying to excuse myself. You all should know how busy life can be by this point.**

 **Before I go, I wanted to let you guys know that I'll be placing a poll on my profile concerning a future story idea. There will be three choices to decide from, and the poll will end on April Fool's Day (April First).**

 **Please vote!**

 **Until next time!**

 _ **~pain17ification~**_


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